Israeli detained at Canada airport after Hind Rajab Foundation complaint over Gaza war crimes

An Israeli national was detained and interrogated for hours at a Canadian airport this week following a legal complaint filed by the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), a development the organisation says reflects mounting international pressure to hold perpetrators and inciters of Israel’s war crimes in Gaza accountable.

The foundation said Israeli propagandist and performer Guy Hochman was detained at Toronto Pearson International Airport and questioned for approximately six hours after Canadian authorities received a criminal complaint and an extensive evidentiary dossier compiled by HRF and partner organisations.

According to Israeli media reports, Hochman was released only after intervention by the Israeli embassy.

HRF said the detention had followed the formal handover of evidence documenting Hochman's involvement in war crimes, including direct and public incitement to genocide, and the glorification of torture and sexual violence against Palestinian detainees, all in connection with Israel's assault on Gaza.

The organisation said the episode demonstrates that allegations raised by Palestinian-led accountability efforts were being treated as serious and credible by authorities, despite repeated diplomatic attempts by Israel to shield its nationals from scrutiny.

Escalation to the United States

Building on the Canada filing, HRF announced it has now submitted an urgent request for prosecution to the United States Department of Justice, citing Hochman's planned public appearance in New York.

The US submission invokes potential violations of international humanitarian law and US federal statutes, including the War Crimes Act and the Genocide Statute.

HRF warned US authorities that allowing Hochman to perform while credibly accused of inciting and participating in international crimes risks further harm, particularly in cities with large Palestinian communities traumatised by Israel's ongoing campaign of mass killing and displacement in Gaza.

At the centre of HRF's filing is evidence that Hochman had directly participated in the destruction of the Raed al-Attar Mosque in Rafah on 25 September 2024, a protected religious site under international law.

According to the foundation, the evidence places Hochman at the scene of the attack, shifting his role from propagandist to alleged direct participant in the destruction of civilian and religious property.

The dossier also documents systematic and public incitement to genocide, including calls for mass killing, starvation, collective punishment and the destruction of Gaza's civilian infrastructure and mosques, as well as repeated use of biblical "Amalek" rhetoric long warned against by UN experts for its genocidal implications.

HRF further said Hochman had publicly defended and celebrated Israeli soldiers accused of raping a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman detention facility, conduct the organisation said normalises torture and sexual violence against Palestinians held in Israeli custody.

"International criminal law draws a clear line between expression and criminal conduct," said Natacha Bracq, head of litigation at HRF.

"Direct and public incitement to genocide is a crime in itself, and participation in the destruction of protected civilian and religious sites constitutes a war crime. The evidence shows that Mr Hochman meets both thresholds," Bracq said.

A widening accountability effort

HRF said the Canadian detention adds to a growing list of cases in which Israeli nationals linked to the Gaza genocide have faced questioning, detention or travel disruption abroad.

The organisation said these developments send a clear signal that impunity is eroding, even as Israel continues to block accountability at home.

"This is not about comedy or free speech," said HRF director Dyab Abou Jahjah. "It is about confronting genocide, war crimes and incitement wherever they appear. No stage, airport or city should be used to glorify mass killing or launder atrocities."

The foundation said it will continue pursuing legal action across jurisdictions to ensure that those accused of inciting or committing crimes against Palestinians are investigated and held to account wherever they travel.